Netherlands national team don suffer another setback. Dem leave out 25-year-old full-back Jeremie Frimpong from new coach Xavi Hernandez squad for Elftal Nations League match against Serbia on Sunday evening, 6pm. Na official squad list Dutch FA submit to UEFA show am.
Frimpong no feature for the 1-1 draw with Germany last Thursday. He bin dey Netherlands squad but he sit for bench full 90 minutes. Against Serbia, he no even make the 23-man squad at all. For Frimpong, this axing na latest bitter low for sporting crisis wey don drag on about one year.
With Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Frimpong win league and DFB Cup double for 2023/24. For summer 2025, he join Liverpool, and since then things seem to go wrong. After he win German championship and DFB Cup double with Bayer 04 Leverkusen for 2024, Liverpool snap the lightning-quick right-back for summer 2025. Reds pay €40 million to the Bundesliga club.
Under former Reds manager Arne Slot, who bring am to Anfield as him preferred signing, Frimpong initially look certain to lock down right-back spot for back four, but persistent thigh problems first hold am back. He miss 10 of first 16 Premier League matchdays through injury. By turn of year, he manage only 11 appearances, one goal and one assist, for 27 possible competitive matches. Once he finally fit play more regularly for new year after injury, he still only rarely impress. For Slot defensive back four—at Leverkusen he still operate as right wing-back for back three—the Dutchman repeatedly show glaring weaknesses in defending and positional play. He also lack the cutting edge going forward wey dem hope for, and by end of season him record stand at meagre two goals and two assists for 35 appearances.
In October, immediately before Frimpong sideline for longer spell with thigh problems, former Reds professional Don Hutchison talk say: ‘I don watch every Liverpool game I could this season so far. And for some of them, like the one against Southampton 2-1 for EFL Cup at end of September, he just keep giving the ball away. Simple passes dey go anywhere and him confidence dey slip away more and more.’ Even then, he urge Liverpool coach Slot to leave out the Dutchman and look for alternatives instead. ‘I would start Conor Bradley, definitely. Frimpong isn’t even close to starting XI with him current performances,’ Hutchison talk.
Last summer, Frimpong pay price for him poor Liverpool season when he miss out on place for Netherlands World Cup squad. Instead, former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman trust Jurrien Timber of Arsenal and Denzel Dumfries of Real Madrid for tournament for USA, Canada and Mexico. Things still not really run smoothly for club level either. After new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola initially use am as him first-choice right-back at start of season, new signing Ronald Araujo, actually natural centre-back, now dey preferred there. Bare numbers back Iraola. Liverpool concede six goals for four games with Frimpong for starting XI. Dem no let in single goal for three matches with Araujo starting. Former England international Danny Murphy also criticise recently. Speaking to talkSport, he talk say ‘the full-backs’—meaning not only Frimpong but also him counterpart Milos Kerkez for left—are ‘not good enough’ for Liverpool standards. ‘Dem no dey get any better either, dem just no get am in dem. Dem work hard, but level of dem crossing and decision-making for final third poor.’
